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obsidian/wiki/claude-code/dot-claude-folder.md
Vadym Samoilenko c6b0a1e101 vault backup: 2026-04-29 12:40:52
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The .claude Folder — Full Configuration Reference
dot-claude
claude-folder
claude-configuration
claude-code
configuration
hooks
skills
agents
plugins
mcp
raw/Claude md folder.md
2026-04-29 2026-04-29

The .claude Folder — Full Configuration Reference

"If you're using Claude Code without setting up .claude folder, you're using 10% of it."

The .claude folder is where Claude Code's real power lives. Most users never open it.

Mental Model

Three tiers of execution:

Tier Example Behavior
Advisory CLAUDE.md Claude reads and follows — but can be overridden
Deterministic .claude/hooks/ Fires every time, no exceptions
On-demand .claude/skills/ Loaded only when the task matches

Files and Folders

CLAUDE.md (project root)

  • Your project rulebook — coding style, conventions, gotchas
  • Claude reads it before every task; stops you repeating yourself in every prompt
  • Advisory: Claude follows it, not enforced at the system level

.claude/hooks/

  • Shell scripts that fire on lifecycle events (session start, after edits, before compaction, etc.)
  • Deterministic — Claude cannot skip them
  • Common uses: auto-commit after edits, load project context on startup, save state before compaction

.claude/skills/

  • Drop a SKILL.md inside any folder; Claude invokes it when the task matches
  • Skills are scoped — no skill bleeds into unrelated work
  • Examples: carousel generation skill, pacing drills skill

.claude/agents/

  • Subagents with isolated context windows
  • Run in parallel; report back to the main thread
  • Common patterns: code reviewer, researcher, log analyzer

.claude/commands/

  • Slash commands (legacy, still functional)
  • Example: /ship → lint + build + deploy in one go

.claude/plugins/

  • First-class in 2026
  • Bundle hooks + skills + agents + MCP servers into one shareable package
  • The "real unlock" for team sharing and distribution

.claude/rules/

  • Path-scoped rules loaded only when files match a glob pattern
  • Prevents API rules from polluting frontend context (and vice versa)

.mcp.json (project root, not inside .claude/)

  • MCP server config for the project
  • Claude connects them automatically on session start

Key Takeaways

  • .claude folder = Claude Code's brain — ignoring it means ignoring most of the product
  • CLAUDE.md is advisory; hooks are deterministic; skills load on demand — this is the core mental model
  • Hooks are the enforcement layer — use them for anything that must always happen
  • Skills scope Claude's capabilities to context — prevents wrong tools firing on wrong tasks
  • Agents keep the main context clean — parallel subagents handle heavy lifting
  • Plugins (2026) are the distribution primitive — bundle everything into one installable unit
  • .mcp.json lives at the project root, not inside .claude/

Related Articles

Sources

  • raw/Claude md folder.md